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Issues and Events, I992 .1 , • , Melanesia in Review: Issues and Events, I992 FIJI Fijians and non-Indo-Fijians, won all The year 1992 may well be remembered the 5 seats allocated to that community. in Fiji as one of unexpected develop­ In an unexpectedly close contest, the ments in the political arena, dominated National Federation Party won 14 of by the general election in May. The the 27 seats allocated to the Indo-Fijian first half of the year was consumed by community, with the Fiji Labour Party the election campaign and the second securing 13. The Soqosoqo ni Vakavu­ half by its problematic reverberations. lewa ni Taukei was able to form a gov­ It ended with a promise to take Fiji ernment after entering into a coalition away from the politics ofracial divi­ with the General Voters Party and with sion toward a multiracial government the support of the Fijian National ofnational unity. Whether, and if, that United Front. Sitiveni Rabuka became occurs will be the challenge of1993. prime minister after Labour threw its The general election, the sixth since support behind him rather than Kami­ independence in 1970 and the first since kamica, who was backed by the the coups of1987, was preceded by a National Federation Party. long and sometimes bitter campaign Labour's strategy took supporters (see my article, this issue). Political completely by surprise. Its leaders fragmentation in the Fijian community argued that Rabuka was a changed accompanied the emergence of a num­ man who appeared to be a genuine ber ofpolitical parties and the rise of friend ofthe poor of all races. They provincialism. An intense and at times said he was an essentially decent man bitter struggle for the prime minister­ who had been used by some chiefs and ship was fought by Major General other vested interests to execute the Sitiveni Rabuka and Josevata Kami­ coup. Kamikamica, on the other hand, kamica, a technocrat and finance min­ was the principal architect ofeconomic ister in Ratu Mara's interim adminis­ policies that had eroded workers' rights tration. Division also plagued the and brought them much misery. More­ Indo-Fijian community as the coalition over, he was Mara's man, enough to between the National Federation and disqualify him in their eyes. Fiji Labour parties collapsed over dif­ Most important, Rabuka had given ferences concerning how best to repeal Labour leaders a written undertaking a constitution that effectively reduced to act expeditiously on matters ofcon­ it to a political underclass. cern to them. These included reviewing The Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni the racially based constitution, which Taukei, a political party headed by discriminates against Indo-Fijians, Rabuka and sponsored by the chiefs, urban Fijians, and western Fijians; won 30 ofthe 37 Fijian communal revoking the anti-labour legislation seats, the Fijian National United Front passed by the interim administration; 5, and Independents 2 seats. The Gen­ abolishing the 15 percent value added eral Voters Party, representing all non- tax on most goods and services; and THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC. FALL 1993 discussing the extension of the expiring flame alive, capitalizing on a series of Agricultural Landlord and Tenants embarrassing setbacks for the govern­ Ordinance under which Fijian land is ment. As the year ended, there was leased by Indo-Fijian tenants. Rabuka some speculation about Rabuka's backed his commitment with suitable political future. rhetoric: "No longer am I promoting Rabuka moved early to deliver on the aspirations we had in 1987; now it his promises to the taukei, the indige­ is for all races in Fiji" (WPR, 15 June nous Fijians, announcing measures 1992). designed to enhance their participation In retrospect, becoming prime min­ in education and the private sector. ister was a relatively easy task for These included increasing the govern­ Rabuka; delivering on promises to var­ ment scholarship fund for Fijians; ious constituencies and running a establishing a small business agency to smooth administration proved more advise and train potential Fijian entre­ problematic. The source ofmany ofhis preneurs; providing financial assis­ problems was the way in which tance to the provincial councils and the Rabuka had risen to the top. Although Council of Rotuma to buy more shares popular among many ordinary Fijians in Fijian Holdings Limited, and giving throughout the country (his power that investment agency priority in base), Rabuka's support in the parlia­ purchasing shares from privatized gov­ mentary group of the Soqosoqo ni ernment commercial enterprises; and Vakavulewa ni Taukei was suspect, as considering tax exemption for Fijian­ members hedged their bets or were oth­ owned businesses for up to twenty erwise divided in their loyalties. years. Labour denounced the measures To consolidate his support, Rabuka as "just an extension of the haphazard rewarded most of his close and espe­ Alliance manner of dealing with Fijian cially wavering supporters with minis­ problems," and as measures "intended terial and subministerial portfolios, in for the rich and elite Fijians" (FT, 27 the process creating the biggest minis­ Aug 1992). Many Fijians, Nationalist terial government in Fiji's history. leader Sakiasi Butadroka among them, Opposition leader Jai Ram Reddy also were skeptical of the benefits of called the expansion to twenty-five the government's proposals for ordi­ ministers "an exercise in political expe­ nary Fijians. The National Federation diency by way of jobs for the boys" Party predictably raised the issue ofthe (TR, Dec 1992). One ofthe first bills needs and aspirations ofpoor Indo­ introduced by the government called Fijians, for whom the government's for an increase in salary for parliamen­ policies showed scant sympathy. tarians. The haste with which the bill In its first few weeks, the new gov­ was passed provoked much comment ernment functioned more smoothly in the country. The politics ofpatron­ than many had predicted or desired. age worked, at least for the time being, But it was soon embroiled in a series of but some in the Fijian camp, such as embarrassing incidents that under­ Senator Adi Finau Tabakaucoro, a mined its prestige. In August, the Mara loyalist, kept the anti-Rabuka newly appointed minister of state for '/ .~',.m POLITICAL REVIEWS Indian Affairs, Himmat Lodhia, was gain control of the Soqulu Plantation in forced to resign after the police Taveuni from the National Bank. Even launched an investigation into his com­ more incredible, the deed of settlement pany for the disappearance from the was to be exempt from income, land customs bond of F$67,000 of imported sales, and value-added taxes (FT, I Oct jewelry. A month before, Minister for 1992). Information Ilaia Kuli was mired in a The settlement fell through when messy strike at Fiji Posts and Telecom­ the National Bank refused to honor the munications over the sacking ofthe deed signed by Seru. Soon afterward, chief executive, Emori Naqova, and the whole affair was exposed in parlia­ the ensuing conflict between the work­ ment. Jai Ram Reddy called the deed ers, who supported Naqova, and the an "attempt to swindle the govern­ management board. The strike was ment," a case of gross corruption and resolved only after the workers sabo­ incompetence, and pressed for a judi­ taged fiber optics and compact cables, cial inquiry. The attorney general, he throwing Suva and international com­ said, had acted without proper parlia­ munications into chaos. And questions mentary approval and in contravention were raised about the F$6so,000 pur­ of the convention which required that chase price of the prime minister's damages be paid after taking into house when the government's own account the state's ability to pay. valuer had estimated its value at Rabuka denied the charge of cor­ F$46S,000. The house was owned by ruption but described Seru's action as Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau's family com­ "a very sad case oferror of judgement." pany, Qeleni Holdings (FT, 30 Sept The government rejected the opposi­ 1992). tion's call for a judicial inquiry with the All these incidents paled into insig­ power to make binding recommenda­ nificance beside the so-called Stephens tions, but agreed to appoint a parlia­ affair. Tony Stephens, a local business­ mentary commission of inquiry. Seru man with previous encounters with the resigned and was replaced by Kelemedi law, had been detained for forty days Bulewa, whose law firm Seru subse­ in 1988 on the charge of illegally quently joined. In December, the high importing pen pistols. He was eventu­ court rejected Stephens' application to ally cleared, and retaliated by demand­ have the deed declared valid. The mat­ ing F$30 million compensation for ter is unlikely to rest there. Whatever wrongful arrest and detention. On 17 follows, the Stephens affair has already September, Attorney General Apitaia tarnished the reputation of the govern­ Seru settled out of court for F$IO ment, leaving the vague suspicion that million. Stephens was to be paid more people were involved than is F$980,000 in cash, and have his mort­ presently known. As a Fiji Times edito­ gage with the Home Finance Company rial put it, "the sorry mess suggests and the National Bank ofFiji paid off. powerful forces, answerable to no one The receiving order and bankruptcy but themselves, are at work to under­ action against him were to be dis­ mine constitutional authority" (FT, I charged, and he was to be allowed to Oct 1992). THE CONTEMPORARY PACIFIC. FALL 1993 The government fared slightly better at the United Nations' General Assem­ on the international scene. In July, bly in October. Rabuka attended his first South Pacific Just when his stature seemed to be Forum meeting in Honiara. Although improving, Rabuka found himself in understandably apprehensive about his trouble again.
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